2020 World Juniors Group Odds: Finland Even-Money Favorite in Group A, While Canada +120 to Top Group B

• Defending champion Finland are even-money favorites to win Group A at the World Junior hockey championship
• Canada is the +120 chalk to top Group B
• Russia (+220) and the USA (+290) are also in Group B with Canada

Canada (2018) and Finland (2019) have won the last two World Junior Championships and both countries are favored to start out as winners at this year’s event in the Czech Republic.

The sportsbook lists Finland, who eliminated the Canadians in last year’s quarterfinals, as even-money favorites to top Group A in pool play. Canada, which missed the podium last season in Vancouver, will look to bounce back. The Canadians are predicted to win the much deeper Group B, with opening odds of +120.

Canada is also the +240 favorite to win the tournament.

2020 World U20 Championship Group A Winner Odds

Odds taken on Dec. 23rd

Finland a European Sensation

Last year, Finland did something never before achieved by the nation in a world junior tourney. The Finns won the gold medal on Canadian ice.

Finland has won gold the last two times the world juniors were held in Europe, so it would be foolhardy to count the Finns out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyatGFx8Cm0

They come back to the event with another loaded roster. Finland suits up 14 NHL draft picks. Defensemen Ville Heinola (Winnipeg Jets) and Lassi Thomsen (Ottawa Senators), the team captain, were both 2019 NHL first-round picks. Forward Rasmus Kupari (Los Angeles Kings) was a 2018 first-round selection.

Goaltender Justus Annunen is sensational. But the Finns will be without center Anton Lundell. Expected to a be a high first-round pick in 2020, he’s out with an undisclosed injury.

Young Swedes Are Intriguing

Sweden has some talent to watch. Forwards Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz and Noel Gunler should all be NHL first-round picks in 2020. David Gustafssson played for the NHL Jets this season.

Looks like Swedens top two lines at World Juniors will be David Gustafsson Centering Samuel Fagemo & Nils Hoglander & Karl Henriksson Centering Lucas Raymond & Alexander Holtz.🇸🇪

— Patrik Petrin (@PatrikPetrin) December 17, 2019

Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Rasmus Sandin and Edmonton Oilers 2019 first-round pick Philip Broberg will bolster the defense. The Swedes have won just two world junior titles but have been runners-up on 11 occasions.

Swiss an Interesting Value Play

The Swiss stunned Sweden 2-0 in the quarterfinals last year. They lost by a goal to Canada and finished fourth overall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iCBLsBh_1Q

Switzerland brings back nine players from the #4 squad.  That list includes four NHL draft picks and forward Simon Knak, rated to go in the second round of the 2020 draft.

At +1200, the Swiss offer good value.

Group A Prediction

1. Finland
2. Sweden
3. Switzerland
4. Slovakia
5. Kazakhstan

2020 World U20 Championship Group B Winner Odds

Both the USA (silver) and Russia (bronze) won medals at last year’s tournament. Canada and the USA clash in the tourney opener on December 26.

Canada Looks to Rebound

The Canadians won five straight gold medals from 2005-09. In the decade since, they’ve won two. Last year, Canada missed the podium for the fourth time in eight tournaments.

Canada is loaded at forward, with seven NHL first-round picks. The Canadians also have Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield, expected to go 1-2 in the 2020 draft.

Defensively, Canada isn’t as deep and Canada’s goaltending is dramatically uncertain. Only one of five goalies invited by Canada to the World Junior Summer Showcase is still on the roster.

USA Seeks One for the Thumb

Only one country has pulled a medal in each of the past four tournaments and that’s the USA. Silver medalists last year, they were golden in 2017, sandwiched between bronze medals in 2016 and 2018.

18 hours of travel in the books – the U.S. National Junior Team has arrived in Ostrava! 🇺🇸#USAWJC Notebook → https://t.co/6YyGnChnXf pic.twitter.com/jQ4ZjeMJV7

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) December 19, 2019

The Americans bring back four players from last year’s runners-up. They can call on eight NHL first-round picks, including goalie Spencer Knight (Florida Panthers). Four players on the team – defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and forwards Jack Drury, Alex Turcotte and Jacob Pivonka – are sons of NHLers.

Russians a Notch Below

Russia has some stars on its roster. Most notable among those are defenseman Alexander Romanov, a Montreal Canadiens prospect who was named top rearguard in the 2019 tourney, and forward Vasili Podkolzin, a Vancouver Canucks first-rounder.

Going into the #WorldJuniors, let’s stop and appreciate Yaroslav Askarov’s best saves from his 2019-20 VHL season so far. And oh boi are these tremendous.

Askarov is my #4 for the #2020NHLDraft and Russia’s presumed WJC starter. pic.twitter.com/A9lSN1NMdI

— TPEHockey (@TPEHockey) December 23, 2019

Huge for Russia will be goalie Yaroslav Askarov. Only 17, he’s expected to be the top goalie taken in the 2020 NHL draft and might go top five. He’s capable of stealing games.

Group B Prediction

1. USA
2. Canada
3. Russia
4. Germany
5. Czech Republic